1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to the field of archery, and more specifically to a self-aligning peep sight system.
2. Background Art
The necessity for more accurate aiming of an archery bow has been present since the advent of the bow. There have been numerous sights that attempt to perform such aiming. Some of the existing sights are self-aligning peep sights that attach to multi-strand bowstrings typical on compound bows. All conventional peep sights, however, have at least two inherent problems.
First, conventionally served peep sights slide in the bowstrings. Placing the peep sight between the strands of the bowstring and tying separate serving string around the bowstring strands both above and below the peep sight accomplish serving a conventional peep sight into multi-strand bowstring. However, this conventional manner of serving the peep sight does not prevent sliding of the peep sight up or down the bowstring. Therefore, repeatedly fully drawing the bowstring causes the peep sight to slide in the bowstring due to the tension on the split strings, thereby compromising the aiming.
Second, conventional tethers are not durable and readily visible. Conventional self-aligning peep sights use a length of hollow tubing as a tether. One end of the hollow tubing is either crudely attached to the power cable with an overhand knot or is attached to the power cable by a split plastic clip that wraps around the power cable forming a protrusion that is then inserted into the hollow tubing. A fixed protrusion located on the peep site inserts into the other end of the hollow tubing.
However, not only is hollow tubing not very visible in all light conditions, hollow tubing is not durable. That is, the interfacing of the hollow tubing with the power cable in conventional peep sight systems is not reliable. The hollow tubing always breaks or slips/stretches, typically within a few months, primarily due to stress points at the tubing/peep sight protrusion interface and/or the tubing/split clip protrusion interface. This forces an archer to cut the broken or stretched ends of the tubing and then reinsert them back onto the protrusions. However, shortened hollow tubing causes compromised and inaccurate aiming. That is, shortened hollow tubing increases tension on the peep sight, in turn causing increased tension on the string, resulting in the tail of the arrow pulling up on release from the bow, thereby causing a low shot. Alternatively, the knot may be untied with use over time, and adjusting it requires the untying and then re-tying. Archers and manufacturers try and compensate for these breaking issues by employing larger tubing. However, larger tubing causes, among other drawbacks, velocity loss of an arrow due to the drag of the tubing.
Accordingly, archers need an improved self-aligning peep sight system that overcomes, among other problems, the peep sight sliding and non-secure tubing/power cable and tubing/peep sight interfacing drawbacks of conventional peep sights.